Railway-signal-operating mechanism.



No. 802,592. PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

F. P. J. PATENALL. RAILWAY SIGNAL OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-24,1906.

[XVI/EN TOR JZM m Br V {is FRANK P. J. PATENALL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAlLWAY SlGNAbOPERATING MECHANISM:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24., 1903.

Application filed February 24, 1905. Serial No. 2427,137i

T0 aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANK P. J. PATENALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signal-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to railway-signaloperating mechanism, and particularly to visual signals. By the term signal as used herein I mean to include any visual signal device which by its color or by its position relatively to its support will give indication of the service condition of the railroad-track or section of railroad-track which it governs.

I will describe a signal-operating mechanism embodying my invention and then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings all the figures represent in elevation asemaphore-signal and its support with operating mechanism embodying my invention, partly in elevation and partly in perspective, the signal being shown in a different position in each figure.

A represents a signal-post, and B a semaphore-signal having the usual counterweight or spectacle Z), which, as shown, is provided with live lenses 6 it being one of the objects of my present invention to move the semaphore-signal to live different positions.

C C and D D indicate two pairs of signaloperating levers, they being shown as anglelevers pivoted at their angles on bars and Z, which will be supported in any suitable manner. It is to be understood that in practice these levers will be provided with some looking means for holding them in either of the positions to which they are intended to be moved-as, for instance, they may each be provided with a latch to engage notches in a quadrant in a well-known manner. These details of construction, however, form no part of the present invention and are not illustrated in the drawings, it being necessary only to show the levers and other parts of the operating mechanism in the positions they will assume in operating the signal. It is also to be understood that suitable supports and guides will be provided for any other parts of the operating mechanism wherever they may be necessary.

To the short arms of the levers C and G a floating lever c is connected, and a similar lever d is connected to the short arms of the levers D and D.

a and c are bell-crank levers pivoted on suitable supports and one arm of the cranklever c is connected by a rod 0 to the floating lever 0, and one arm of the crank-lever e is connected by a rod d to the floating lever (Z. The crank-levers are so connected that they will act oppositely.

g is a floating lever connected at its ends to the other arms of the crank-levers e and e by rods f and f, respectively.

/b is a rack-bar connected at one end to the lever 9 about midway between its ends. This bar /t in practice will be loosely supported to engage a pinion 2', supported to rotate adjacent the post A, and the bar /I will be free to move endwise, and thereby rotate the pinion t.

Upon the signal B a pinion 7) is rigidly secured concentric to the axis about which'the signal turns, and a rack-bar 7' will be suitably supported to engage the pinions 6 and t', the latter being of sufficient width to engage both of the rack-bars it and ,y'.

The operating mechanism is in normal position when the semaphore-blade is in a horizontal position, as in Figure 1. In order to move the blade to the position shown in Fig. 2, the lever D is pulled back a certain distance, and since the other lever D is locked the joint between its short arm and the floating lever (Z will become a fulcrum for the latter and the end connected to the lever D will be lifted and move the crank-lever e to the position shown in Fig. 2, and thereby move the rod f toward the signal-post, and since the rod f cannot move toward the levers C C as long as they are both locked the movement of the arm f will cause the rack-bar it to move in the same direction, and thereby turn the pinion vi about its axis, which turning movement will be transmitted to the pinion 6 through the upward movement of rack-bar j, and the signal will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 2. The lever D may now be moved back the same as D and this will result in a further lifting of the floating lever (Z, the joint between it and the lever D becoming its fulcrum, and the crank-lever a will move to the position shown in Fig. 3 and the rack-bar it will move farther toward the post A, and the pinions 2] and 7) will therefore be turned and cause the signal to move to the position shown in Fig. 3. Obviously the lever D might be moved first instead of the lever D, and the result would be the same.

By operating the levers O and O the signal may be moved to the positions shown in Figs. 4: and 5, it being understood that the signal must lirst have been returned to the position shown in Fig. 1. In this case, how ever, rod and rack-bar b will be pulled toward the levers, and the rack-bar 7' will move downwardly.

It will be seen that a single, signal may by the use of my invention be moved through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees into five different positions of indication. It will also be seen that the locking of all the levers Will lock the signal in whatever position it may be in, and it cannot be moved from that position until one of the levers is again operated.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of a signal, a plurality of signal-operating levers and a single line of connections between the signal and all the operating-levers for moving the signal to five diflerent positions of indication.

2. The combination of a signal, a pinion rigidly connected thereto concentric with the aXis about which the signal turns, a rack-bar for turning said pinion, a plurality of signal-operating levers, and means common to all the levers for imparting varying movements to the rack-bar to move the signal to different positions of indication.

3. The combination of a pivoted signal, a pinion secured thereto concentric with its pivot, a rack-bar for turning said pinion, a plurality of signal-operating levers, a floating lever connected to all of the levers, and a single line of operating connections between the floating lever and the rack-bar.

4:. The combination of a pivoted signal, a pinion rigidly connected thereto concentric with its pivot, a pinion supported to turn adjacent to the signal-post, a rack-bar engaging both pinions, a plurality of signal-operating levers, and a rack-bar connected to all of the levers and movable by eitherone thereof and engaged with the pinion supported adjacent the signal-post.

5. The combination of a pivoted signal, a pinion for turning said signal through an arc of more than ninety degrees, a plurality of signal-operating levers, a rack-bar connected to all of said levers and movable by either one thereof, and means for transmitting movement from the said rack-bar to the said pinion.

6. The combination of a pivoted signal, a pinion rigidly secured thereto concentric with its pivot, a second pinion supported independently of the signal, a rack-bar engaging both pinions, two pairs of signal-operating levers, a floating lever connected to each pair of signaloperating levers, another floating lever,a rackbar connected thereto and engaging said second pinion, and rod and crank connections between the last-named floating lever and both floating levers connected to the two pairs of signal-operating levers.

7. The combination of a pivoted signal, a pinion rigidly secured thereto concentric with its pivot, a plurality of signal-operating levers, a floating lever connected to all of said levers and movable by either one of them, and a single line of connections between the floating lever and said pinion for transmitting movement from one to the other.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribed witnesses.

FRANK P. J. PATENALL.

WVitnesses:

A. BREWER, GEO. M. KIMBERLY. 

